Greyhawk 636 CY: The Rise of Asmodeus
Paladin of Heironeous
Weight: 124 lbs
Hair: Red (almost orange)
Slim, boyish figure but with a good bit of wiry muscle. Usually heavily armored and well armed.
Uncle: Touma Stalwarth
Cousins: Adam, Tobias, and Thereca Stalwarth
Parents (deceased): Dinah and Alfred Stalwarth
Stalwarth Crest: The family sword pointed down held by two hands, in front of the Aerdi sun from the heraldry of the Great Kingdom
Born in the remnants of the Great Kingdom, Wilhelmina (or Will, as everyone calls her) is the scion of a great family of knights, paladins, and clerics. She is a relentless champion of justice and good. Unlike many paladins, she’s not terribly fond of diplomacy and would rather kick evil in the teeth than broker a treaty.
Will tends to be aggressive in all her pursuits. Having often been paired with clerics and other more level-headed folk, she’s found that approaching everything at full speed tends to be the balancing force to their caution and reason. Though she’s no fool, she has realized that evil doesn’t wait for people to put together the best plans. Too much hesitation can lead to loss of life.
Her aggression is tempered by a friendly and open personality. Just as she doesn’t hold back on the battlefield, she gives her all to friends and family. Despite being raised among nobles, Will has no taste for politics or dissembling. She can hob-nob with aristocrats when called for, but generally prefers being blunt to being feminine and charming. In fact she’s rather terrible at being girly at all.
She is never seen without her father’s heirloom longsword, her mother’s battered, silver holy symbol of Heironeous, and an expensive gold and platinum locket (though it is usually tucked under layers of armor).
The Stalwarth family served a powerful noble family, the Von Slythe’s, for many generations before discovering that their masters were in fact fiend-blooded infernalists. The Stalwarth’s stormed the Von Slythe’s ancestral castle in an attempt to stop a dangerous summoning. They were successful, but the backlash from the ritual utterly destroyed the site and killed everyone inside. Both families were devastated by the catastrophe and left with only a meager handful of still living members. The Von Slythe’s power seemed entirely broken and their remaining resources seized by by the Stalwarth’s in order to assist the population of the area that chose to remain there.
Will and her family still act as the protectors of the land and slay the frequent undead and other bizarre creatures spawned by the blighted area. She has a particular hatred of fiends in all their forms and zealously seeks to rid the Flanaess of their influence in any way she can.
Wilhelmina’s family was known for its long history of producing paladins, knights (most often of the Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom) and clerics. They were brave, noble, and generous and served the local nobility, the Von Slythe family, for hundreds of years as bodyguards and diplomats. So it seemed quite natural that when a daughter was born to the leader of the Stalwarth family just three years after the head of the Von Slythe’s had given birth to a son, that a future marriage was arranged for the two. It was also good fortune that the children became fast friends. Will and Jaquard were rarely seen apart during their early years, usually with Will leading the way and calling the shots.
After finally having a serious, if brief, discussion about the future, it seems Jack and Will’s betrothal still stands with neither person’s feeling having changed even with the long separation. Though she hasn’t had time to consider all the consequences of such a thing, Will’s loyalty to her childhood friend remains unshakeable.
A long overdue conversation with her sword, Devil Breaker, revealed that the Stalwarth’s distant ancestor was a companion of the legendary Arnd of Tdon and the second of Heironeous’s paladins.
Wilhelmina is now married to Jack Von Slythe, making her Lady Von Slythe. She is no longer head of the Stalwarth family, instead passing the position on to her cousins.